BehindTheMedspeak: A Spinal Tap | Hacker News Reader

BehindTheMedspeak: A Spinal Tap

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15 pointssurprisetalk11 comments

Had one of these a few weeks ago.

Just putting it here in case anyone has to do it (I hope no one ever needs it): it is NOT painful at all.

I was told “it’s like a grenade explodes in your spine” by a (stupid) friend, it caused me to refuse to do it for the first time, which if I went through with it, things would’ve been very different for me, I would’ve been diagnosed days faster.

Again, it’s NOT painful at all, they use Lidocaine, you’ll feel way less than when they draw blood from your arm.

If it’s needed, don’t hesitate.

Love that you had a good experience. I perform these procedures semi-regularly, and in some cases they can be painful (even with lidocaine). Most people tolerate them very well though, I usually compare it to the pain of an IV stick, which most people have already tolerated, but which can also cause some people a surprising amount of distress.

Thank you.

As Seneca said, I suffered more in imagination than reality in this case.

I had one and they Let me walk the next day to other diagnostics, had about 6 months severe headaches afterwards which only were bearable when lying down flat. Glad it went away, finally. If I remember correcly you should stay in bed for 48h after the procedure.

Yes, the possibility of severe and prolonged headaches are part of my consent for this procedure. That said, I'm usually only performing the procedure to help exclude (or confirm) a medical condition with risk of permanent disability or death, so it can be a tough decision at times.

I had one of these few weeks ago, and it was the most traumatic experience in my life. They tried 3 times, and it hurt beyond measure. The lidocaine was supposed to be the painful one, but it was like a tickle compared to the punctures.

Then I had a horrible positional headache that lasted a full week. For the whole week I could barely tolerate going to the restroom. And when laying down (only the first 2 days) it ached between my shoulder blades so bad it was painful to breathe. Then for another 3 weeks I started to feel dizzy and weak if I spent over an hour upright.

It was a completely horrid happening

Sorry this happened to you.

This is definitely a horrible experience to have.

You said “between shoulder blades”, was that where they inserted the needle? Mine was way down the spine (near the end)

I am glad you had a good experience. For me it was the most scary medical experience I've ever had. I think they hit a nerve because i felt my foot involuntarly cramping. The feeling is hard to describe. Also I lost vision completely for a minute. I was fine after though, just a little weak.

That must’ve been a terrifying minute.

Glad you’re feeling better and got your vision back.

Agreed, not painful

Tangent but I've read stories about CSF leaking out from the nose for certain people who experienced very precise trauma/infection/injury, One should always be aware of the possibility that clear fluid leaking from the nose may not be regular nasal discharge, and may need serious medical attention.

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